Feed-water heater and purifier



(No Model.)

G. F. LYNCH. EEED WATER EEAEEE AND EUEIEIEE.

' Patented July 1, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. LYNCH, OF MILWVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FEED-WATER HEATER AND PURIF-IER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,231, dated July 1, 1890. Application filed January 14, 1890. Serial No. 337,023. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. LYNCH, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented certain newand usefullmprovements in Feed-Tater Heaters and Purifiers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertainsV to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of feedwater heaters and purifiers designed to be placed Ainside of the boiler. Its main objects are to prevent incrustations forming upon the interior of the boiler, to prevent sediment collecting therein, and to facilitate removing incrustation and sediment from the interior of the heater and purier.

It consists, essentially, of achamber of any suitable form, shape, and construction supported inside ot' the boiler, and having feed and blow-oft connections; of a scraping' or cleaning device in said chamber, with means for operating the same from the outside of the boiler; of atrap through which the water is discharged from the heater and puriierchamber into the boiler and the water is maintained at a certain level within said heater and purifier-chamber, and of certain other peculiarities of construction and arrangement, hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the several figures.

provided with my improved heater and puri-` fier. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, of the heater and purifier proper with its connections; and Fiery?) is an elevation of the discharging end ot' the purifier, showing the trap through which the water is fed into the boiler from the h ea'ter and puri- Iier.

A represents an ordinary horizontal tubular boiler.

B represents the heater and purifier-chamber, which may be conveniently formed of a T Figure l is a vertical sectionot a boiler` single piece or joints of iron pipe. To obtain the requisite capacity, it may be bent, as shown in Fig. 2, the joints of which it is comd posed being coupled together by ordinary elbows. At the ends this chamber is closed by caps o o', and it is supported in the proper position above the boiler-fines a o by blocks or other suitable supports C C, which rest upon said flues, as shown in Figs. l and 3. D is a pipe of smaller diameter than the chamber B, attached to and communicating therewith at its receiving end and passing through the front boiler-head a into the smoke-box A', Where it is provided with a stuffing-box (Z. Vi th the pipe D is connected a feed-Water pipe E and a blow-oft pipe F, each provided in the usual manner with a valve, the blow-off pipe being placed below the feed -pipe. The pipe D is preferably formed in sections and provided with suitable couplings d cl2, to facilitate its insertion through the head of the boiler and coupling it with the heater and purifier-chamber B.

A trap G,which may be conveniently formed of elbows and sections of iron pipe, as shown in the drawings, is screwed into a central aperture in. the cap Z7 at the discharging end of the heater and purifier B, the elbow or angle of the trap being turned upwardly and its discharging end dipping below the level of the water in the boiler. (Indicated by dotted lines, Figs. l and 3.) By means of this trap, which may be turned in the cap b so as to raise or lower the upturned elbow or langle therein, the Water may be maintained at any desired level in the heater and puriier-chamber B.v

In practice I maintain a steam-space above the water in the chamber B, which is supplied with steam generated therein and entering from the boiler through an aperture b2. By this means the Water is heated more effectually before it enters the boiler than it otherwise would be if the heater were constantly and completely filled with water.

vH represents a scraper, which may be conveniently formed of steel wire bent spirally around within the chamber B, and attached to and supported at the ends by rings h 7L', so as to engage when rotated with the entire interior surface of the heater and puriiierchamber B, and loosen any incrustation or sediment which may adhere thereto.

I is a crank-shaft, which projects through the front of the boiler, and is provided at its' outer end with a crank t'. It is inserted in the stuffing-box cl at the outer end of the pipe I), and is attached at its inner end to a spiral wire K, which is attached at the opposite end to the ring h, and constitutes a flexible connection between said crank and the scraper H. In place of this flexible connection the crank-shaft may be extended and connected directlywith the scraperII. I prefer, however, the construction shown, inasmuch as it isA frequently found necessary to make bends in the pipe D in order to clear obstructions inside of the boiler. The wire K also serves as a scraper for loosening` sediment and incrustation adhering` to the interior of the pipe D, and it affords an unobstructed passage between the chamberB and the feed-water and blow-off pipes E and F.

It has been found by practical experience that heaters and purifiers soon become coated inside with an incrustation, which prevents the free conduction of heat to the water contained therein, thereby gradually impairing, if not destroying, their utility. It has also been found that when no means of loosening and removing the incrustation and sediment forming and collecting within the heater is provided other t-han a strong current of water produced in blowing off, a great waste of heat takes place and the work is not effectually done. My improvements afford an effectual remedy for these difficulties.

To clean out the heater and purifier a few turns are given to the scraper, sufficient to loosen all the sediment, scum, and incrustation adhering to the interior of the settlingchamber B and its connections, the valve in the feed-pipe E is closed and the valve in the blow-off pipe F is opened. The pressure of the steam entering the settling-chamber B, through the aperture b2, and through traps G, forces the water contained therein with all the impurities through the pipe D and the blow-off pipe F. The adhering sediment and impurities having been first loosened from the walls of the settlingchamber, only a quantity of water sufficient to remove them is necessarily expelled in blowing off, a much less quantity than would be required to loosen as well as to remove the same impurities. It is better to repeat this operation frequently, so that the lime and earthy matter. precipitated in the settling-chamber may not have time to harden and become firmly attached to the Walls of the settling-chamber and its connections. By not allowing the water to fill the settling-chamber B, and by maintaining its level a little above the opening into the trap G, the scum which rises to the surface before precipitation takes place will be retained in the settling-chamber B and prevented from entering the boiler, thereby effectually preventing the priming or foaming which frequently takes place in steamboilers. l

To protect the stuffing-box d, which is conveniently placed in the smoke-box, from the heat and smoke to which it would otherwise 1 be subjected, I provide a cap d3, which may be screwed over or otherwise attached thereto so as to cover it. In practice, an auxiliary heater outside of the boiler is usually employed in connection With my improved device to heat the water to a certain degree before it is conducted into the heater and purifier within the boiler. The water entering the chamber B is further heated therein, so that when it enters the boiler through the trap G it is of about the same temperature as the water therein. As the water passes slowly through the settling-chamber B, and

its temperature is raised, the lime and other earthy matter contained therein first rise to the surface in the form of scum or spume and precipitation of the heavier impurities takes place, so that when the water is discharged therefrom into the boiler it is freed from impurities which would otherwise pass into the boiler and produce incrustation and sediment and occasion priming or foaming.

The scraper H, as well as the flexible connection and scraper K, are made of spiral form, not for the purpose of conveying the sediment and other impurities out of the heater and purifier, but for the purpose of making contact with the entire interior surface of the chamber B and of the pipe D. In place of a rotary scraper, such as shown in the drawings, a reciprocating scraper of any suitable construction may be employed. In short, the details of my improved device may be variously modified without affecting its operation or departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claiml. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination, with a settling-chamber placed inside of the boiler and provided with feed and blow-off connections, of an elbow-shaped trap opening out of said chamber below the top thereof and set with its elbow above its receiving and discharging apertures, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination, with a settling-chamber placed inside of the boiler and provided with feed and blow-off connections, of an elbow-shaped trap connected at one end with said chamber, so as to turn therein, and communicating with said chamber at a point below the top thereof, and dipping at its discharging end below .the surface of the water in the boiler, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination, with a settling-chamber through which water is fed into the boiler, of a flexible spiral scraper within said chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a feed-Water heater and purifier, the combination of a settling chamber within IOC the boiler provided with an interior scraper,

a crank for operating said scraper, a reduced pipe connected with said chamber and passing through the boiler, and a flexible connection passing through said pipe and ,connecting said scraper with said crank, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination, with a settling-chamber placed within the boiler and provided with feed and blow-off connections, and with an aperture in the upper part thereof communicating with the steam-space of the boiler, of an elbowshaped trap opening from said chamber at a point below the topthereof and set with its elbow above its receiving' and discharging apertures, and dipping atits discharging end below the surface of the Water in the boiler, whereby a steam-space is maintained in said chamber, and the water is discharged therefrom at a point below the surface and above the sediment of the Water contained in said chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a feed-Water heater and purifier, the combination, with a settling-chamber, of a flexible spiral scraper, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a feed-Water heater and purifier, the combination of a settling-chamber having a reduced feed-water and blow-off `connections extending through the shell of lthe boiler,

V a scraper within said chamber, and a flexible scraper, substantiallyT as and for the purposes set forth.

S. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a settling-chamber within the boiler, having feed-water and blow-off connections, and an aperture communicating with the steam-space of the boiler, and a scraper Within said chamber provided with means for operating the same outside of the boiler, sub'- stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In a feed-Water heater and purifier, the combination of a settling chamber placed Within the boiler and provided with feed and blow-off connections, and a scraper within said chamber, provided with means for operating the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

lO. Ina feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of the settling-chamber within the boiler, a feed and blow-off pipe commu`V nicating therewith and passing through the boiler-head into t-he smoke-box, where it is 4provided with a stuffing-boX, a scraper Within the settlingchamber, a crank-shaft passing through said stuffing-box and connected with said scraper, and a cap covering said stuifing-box, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my si gnature in presence of two witnesses. 

